No Sleep
by MoonRoseGoddess
Summary: We follow the modern day lives of Christine and her friends who learn what it means to love and be loved in this ever changing world. What a Naughty Raoul we have and Eric to the Rescue;) The Russian and Swedish languages have already made an appearance for your multilingual selves. More to come!
1. In the Middle of Things

**This story is a bit spontaneous and the product of my tired brain on a Thursday, wayyy past midnight. We shall see where this takes us in the future.**

 **DISCLAIMER: Any resemblance to people alive or dead is coincidental.**

She shifted in her chair, trying to get more comfortable after sitting behind the desk for hours. It wasn't like she was being productive; she's watched at least 10 Buzzfeed videos and a couple of RT documentaries. Realizing that despite the fact that time spent on the documentaries was not wasted, she seriously needed to get over her writers block. Her report would not magically appear on her computer.

Her blonde hair, only secured by a couple of pins at the top of her head, now covered her eyes as she started to hug her knees in the hope of reassuring herself that she'll gather her strength and finally write that report. She sighed, trying to focus on the light tapping against the window by the rain. Thump, thump, thump, the rain poured, becoming stronger with every passing minute.

No longer feeling like she could sit motionless, she wiggled out of her uncomfortable position, stretched and put on an ocelot onesie before going into the kitchen to make some white pomegranate tea. As the kettle boiled, she pulled out her Yotaphone and started listening to music she recently added to her VK account. As the beat picked up, so did her moves as she started dance all around the kitchen singing along to an upbeat Trace Adam remix of _Make Me_.

Christine was a tall girl as compared to the majority of her friends, build for _hard labor_ as her aunt once remarked; she had a very athletic build but achieved it only after having been overweight most of her teen years. Naturally, she was a brunette but having lived on her own for some time, started the habit of changing her hair color every 6 months or so and the most recent change was to blonde.

Now that her tea was finally newly brewed and hot, she proceeded to try concentrating on her work. Two hours and a banana down the line, the introduction and part of the material and methods were complete. She smiled; her perfectly straightened white teeth made an appearance as she finally decided that a break was in order. Just then her phone made a noise indicating that she has received an email. Cranking up the music, she read the forwarded correspondence from a friend.

Oh boys, how easy and difficult it was to communicate with them. This conversation in particular was between her best friend, Supi, and a love interest. That boy was irrevocably confusing and confused. Hearing once again about the tug of war in the department of attention, only made Christine sigh. Who did it like that? Why did he pull away so unexpectedly but at the same time pull her friend in like a magnet? Sure there were signs that he had some skeletons in his closet, memories of his long-term ex, possible commitment issues but why extrapolate it onto a new person. Christine picked up her phone and rang up her best friend.

"You read it right?" Supi asked, knowing the answer ahead of time

"Why does he keep on doing this?" Christine responded

"I don't know", she paused for a moment "I wanted to heal whatever it is that's bothering him. I know that something is wrong but he's not sharing. I have been attentive and caring and am willing to do so much to make it work but how much more of this can and should I take. I don't know."

Supi fell silent again, a silence which lasted about a 30 seconds. "But, but the passion is there. When we're together, when he looks at me, when he holds me. It's there, I can feel and so can he I'm sure."

The onslaught of memories that suddenly befell Supi was almost overwhelming. She could practically feel his hot breath on her neck, his long fingers tracing the line of her collar. Laying in bed against a large pillow, she imagined him laying behind her, nuzzling her neck.

"Are you certain that you're in love with him and not just the idea of him," Christine said finally breaking the silence. "He's obviously not let go of the past, from what you've told me. I don't want you to waste time like I did. You were there, you remember all the details. It's easier to see things from the side, I don't know, pretend it's me in your shoes. What would you tell me to do?"

"Ughh", grumbled Supi, "I'd tell you that you need to have a serious talk with him and make your decision then. Why, why do you have to remind me to do stuff like this? Why can't this all be easier?"

Their conversation continued on for another hour or so, including watching some random videos as the same time. That's what happens when bestfriends live apart and on different continents. After a nice dinner, Christine finally got ready for bed and as she re-read an old favorite book by Bertrice Small, she didn't even notice that her eyes slowly closed and she drifted off to restless sleep.

 _They had just finished that long hike in Marin Headlands, it was fun and exhausting, he had been a bit shy about holding her hand but Christine felt that all that he needed was a little bit of encouragement. Finally he had put an arm around her as they took the bus ride back to University, she could feel herself slowly melt as the warmth from his hand penetrated her. As they walked to his car while holding hands, Christine could feel herself walking on air. There he was, stepping over the walls he had once built around his heart, he was doing so much for her._

 _In the car, they made light of the trip, laughingly remembered as one of the hike participants, a young man of 20 years of age, desperately tried flirting with all the girls there. Suddenly, Christine realized that he had raised his hand and his warm palm was caressing her cheek. He leaned in, their breaths mingling as he lightly brushed her nose with his while his other arm snaked around her waist pulling their bodies closer. Suddenly, there it was, his hot lips pressing against hers, teasing and coaxing her into opening her mouth ever slightly. With the blush still staining her cheeks, she gave him entrance into her palate only to suddenly be overwhelmed by the onslaught of his tongue darting in and out of her, causing her to hold her breath._

 _A moan escaped her lips…._

A moan escaped her lips and suddenly Christine jolted awake, her breath coming in fast. It was him again, invading her dreams, making her moan even when he was so far way.

 **So, hope you liked the first chapter. We'll see what happens to Christine and Supi as well as whom the mystery men are.**

 **Notes: VK - aka Vkontakte, a Russian social media network with free music etc.**


	2. French Toast

**Let's see where this chapter will take us**

Supi woke up grudgingly, having no longer been able to resist the sunshine falling on her face or the phone vibrating next to her pillow. She was of medium height with beautiful thick hair which a hair dresser once complained about and brown eyes that poets write about and body to suit. Though she was at times very critical of herself, the tempting curves of her body still pleased her when she didn't scroll through any of the women's magazines so easily available at work.

"Hello?" Supi asked, rubbing her eyes in an effort to wake up

"Heyyyyy, babe. I'm so glad you're up!"

"You are way too perky and happy at this hour, Christine", she replied sighing to herself "it's only 9 am on a Saturday here. What's up?"

"Ahhh, I just couldn't wait to tell you the news! And I know that we have 9 whole hours between us BUT I've been keeping this all to myself and I can't anymore," Christine spoke at such a speed that Supi was reminded of the 90's when you didn't want to spend money on minutes and would rush through a dialogue to get things across. "OMG, so remember how I was slaving over this super important presentation a month ago?"

"Yeah, sure and keep talking, I put you on speaker while I make myself some Chai" Supi said walking to her white tile kitchen with chestnut shelves and cupboards.

"So, my PI (principle investigator i.e. supervisor) apparently just received word that it was accepted to a conference!"

"That's awesome..." she trailed off, looking for a small sized pot while the stove top was warming up. "Which conference is it? You guys applied to like 3 or 4"

"That's the best part! It's the same one you're going to!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Christine could hear the loud clanking noise made by the pot falling and Supi screaming in utter and complete joy.

"You're not just joking are you?! Are you?" Supi demanded, holding her breath.

"Nope, we're both going to the computational conference in South Africa in just a week, which is such a short time. I hope you mean to come a few days before the conference and stay a few days after, we need to have some fun while we're there!"

"Yes! I'll get my tickets today and we'll coordinate which days are best. I definitely didn't expect such a wonderful surprise this morning"

Having agreed on the amount of days they'd spend on this conference, Supi finally decided to take a look at the message that she's been unwilling to open so far. Mustering her courage up, she listened to the voicemails he left on WhatsApp and the picture he sent. There he was bothering her again.

When they met he was the strangest combination of a bad-boy and a kid next door that was caring and helpful. He stood at a perfect height of 5'9" (173 cm) and had a nice muscular frame that made her the envy of every girl in the room when they would walk in.

Her cell phone calling brought her out of her reverie, it was him, it was Nadir.

"So have you thought about what I said in that voicemail?" he asked somewhat shyly and at the same time impatiently.

"I just saw it and I don't know Nadir. It might not be a good idea for us to travel together. We're over, you wanted this yourself. What are you trying to do?"

She could practically feel him smile on the other end of the line which made her first roll her eyes and then cozy up on her couch.

"I am being friendly, that's what we agreed to in the first place, right? And why can't friends travel with each other Supi?" he said, his voice caressing her soul as his hands once did with her body. "I'm not far from your house, could I drop by? We talk so much better in person."

Supi hesitated, her apartment has not been cleaned yet and she was still in her PJ's. Yet, there was something in her pushing her to just say yes.

"Fine but mind you, I haven't cleaned yet but as we're only friends, you can't judge me on it."

Nadir chuckled and promised to be there shortly

Supi managed to bring the apartment and herself in some semblance of order just before he rang the doorbell. As she opened the door, she was struck again by how handsome he was. Seemingly ignoring her stunned look, he walked through the open door, placed the bag of groceries on the counter and started to taking the contents out, pulling out a pan and he looked in her direction.

"What do you say about French toast for breakfast, Supi?" Nadir said breaking the silence while pulling out the butter, making her realize how comfortable he still felt at her place though this apartment was relatively new. Perhaps it was her what made him comfortable. She shook her head, with a half hidden smile he didn't miss, and went over to the fridge.

What Supi had missed was the effect she had on him. What she considered a tshirt unfit to be worn outside, did wonders highlighting her beautiful figure as did the black tights. He cursed silently whomever made tights a thing to be worn anywhere and around anyone. He felt himself getting more wound up as imagined peeling each of the items tantalizingly slow from her body.

Supi on the other hand, was trying to calm her rapidly beating heart and convince herself that the handsome man standing there making toast, filling the room with a delicious aroma of vanilla and cinnamon was unattractive. She kept trying to remember the person she was dating right now but he was ignoring her and living in his own world while here was Nadir – looking all handsome and being caring enough to make breakfast for them both.

"I know that you tend to skip breakfast on average but I still don't approve, so I thought best not to come empty handed," he said placing the food prettily on each of the plates and carrying them over to the coffee table.

"I got the coffee," Supi practically squealed out as she felt his body brush against hers, her nipples standing up to attention, making her cringe – her sports bra wouldn't be able to hide this.

As she sat across from him, for a moment she thought that he glanced at her with an all-consuming look but put it away from her mind as they started to enjoy their unorthodox breakfast.

"So what say you? Shall we travel together?" Nadir continued ignoring the light scowl she threw his way.

"We can definitely travel together but Christine and I have already chosen the dates we want to be there" she replied as a matter-of-fact-ly.

"Christine is coming? But how is that possible? Wasn't she working with Biochemistry or medicine or something? How did she get into a computational conference in South Africa?"

"She's been interdisciplinary for a few years now, Nadir, doing Bioinformatics and stuff. She published an article recently and then did more work. Long story short, her PI applied for this conference and she's in."

"So what did you ladies plan to do during this conference?", he said leaning back on the couch, his back now partially covering the sweater she forgot to move.

"You know, girl stuff."

"Oh don't be difficult Supi, you know that we'll see quite a lot of each other when we're there," he said with laughter playing in his eyes as he graced her with his beautiful smile, sending shivers down her spine. "Feeling cold?"

Realizing that his eyes have dropped down and noticed her nipples on attention, she blushed putting an arm over her in what felt like an overly indiscreet manner to her but she wasn't about to let him have the upper hand.

"Hand me that sweater you're sitting on?" she said with a bit more force than she wanted in the first place.

"Well, if you're going to be difficult, then so shall I," he laughed, folding his arms over his muscular chest and challenging to get the sweater herself. As she made a huffing noise, while looking to the side, showing her indignation and tried walking around the coffee table – she tripped and fell right into his lap, her hands resting on the chest she was looking at earlier.

She blushed so profusely while they shared a steamy silence. His arms snaked their way up her legs to gently rest on her waist as she stood there frozen. Supi's mind was racing, she couldn't let him back into his life again – he had been the one to let her go, she couldn't just succumb to his charms again but she was wavering none-the-less, her breath starting to come in more shallow than she would have liked to admit.

"You're still sitting on my sweater," she whispered.

"Do you honestly care about that sweater, Supi? Be honest with me," he said his voice husky before he held onto her waist tighter and flipped himself sideways, pulling her along with him. They ended up laying on the couch flat and face to face, he on the bottom and she right on top of him with his arms still holding her waist.

"You did that on purpose," she continued to whisper become more and more overwhelmed by the warmth of his skin and light muskiness of his skin.

"But I don't think either of us minds besides you tripped all by yourself - your gorgeous self."

Nadir shifted slightly, making her lose her balance just a bit and falling flat onto his chest, with her breasts crushed by her weight and their roundness visible through the neck of her shirt.

"You're impossible…"was all she managed to mumble before his mouth captured his in an all possessive kiss that sent her senses reeling. Her arms started to stroke his hair as she herself deepened the kiss, elucidating a deep moan from him.

Feeling less than patient, his hands started to move higher up her body, pulling the shirt along with them. Supi didn't struggle but instead, without breaking the kiss, helped him pull it all off and began to undress him as well.

"You are impossible, Nadir," she said shifting her body and inadvertently ending up right onto of his erect manhood before capturing his mouth with hers.

 **What will happen next? Stay tuned and find out in the next chapter.**


	3. All Because of a Sweater

**Now we are back to Nadir and Supi during breakfast**

"You are impossible, Nadir," she said shifting her body and inadvertently ending up right onto of his erect manhood before capturing his mouth in hers. She could scarcely breathe and didn't particularly care if she would breathe again as long as this kiss would linger forever. Her nipples pulsed against her sports bra and it did little to quell the feeling of heat pooling at the junction of her legs that seemed to have a mind of its own and kept undulating back and forth over Nadir's member.

Nadir cupped one of her breasts beneath the bra, enjoying the feral look in her eyes as she bent her back like a lithe cat and tangled her fingers in the chest hair that matted his beautiful skin. "I can't stand the idea of anyone else holding you like this," he practically growled. Supi bent forward giving him a perfect view of her beautiful, round breasts. Suddenly he grabbed her and flipped her beneath himself before she even had an inkling of what was happening. She gave a soft cry and trembled as his lips began to kiss the pulsating flesh of her neck, traveling from the top to the base of her neck, travelling at an excruciatingly slow pace and with such lightness that she felt it was almost unbearable. As he continued this sweet torture, his hands began to slowly and gently pull down her tights and underwear, setting her skin on fire wherever his skin met hers. With her disrobed below the belt, she lay beneath him, bare, vulnerable but so beautiful. At first, he didn't touch her but admired her with his eyes and then ever so slowly and lightly began to kiss her here and there, before his mouth finally latched onto her tender nipple while his hand went to her mound of moist curls. She arched her back and moaned to which he chuckled lightly, sending further vibrations to her breast.

Instinct finally took over and her thighs spread wantonly, her hips undulating as he stroked her fire higher and higher by gently squeezing and rubbing her hidden pearl. He gave the same attention to the second breast and as she began to quiver under his ministrations, he started to trail kisses down her soft belly. She practically jumped off the couch as his mouth found the tiny pleasurable flesh and began to suckle on it as his did her nipples. She withered beneath him, moaning his name along with a multitude of incomprehensible phrases. Her legs, now firmly placed on his back began to shake at the same time as her hips mimicked his motions, as she grabbed fistfuls of couch and tried not to scream out in pleasure. The crescendo that ensued along with the scream of utter pleasure made Supi slightly dazed but satisfied.

She had expected him to disrobe himself and find his own fulfillment but instead he took her into his arms and stroked her with a gentle hand until her breathing returned to normal. She felt touched by his generosity and attention and at the same time frowned. What had they done? They had agreed that it was over and there she was again, in his arms: warm, safe, happy. She looked up into his face, hoping to find something there that would make her pull away but instead found herself looking into a face that she had missed.

A phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, looked at the message and replaced it his pocket before turning to look at the beautiful woman in his arms.

"I have to go," he said, guilt washing over him. "I wish I could stay with you right now."

"What just happened here, now?" she said ignoring his statement

"Something beautiful, something I would like to repeat soon. I'm not letting you go this time Supi. I don't care if there is someone whom you've been dating as of late. Let him know that you're no longer available"

"You…you can't just come in here, do all this and then demand things. NO!" she stared at him furiously, hating herself for succumbing to him so easily, for letting him, for responding so wantonly to him.

He smiled at her, an all-knowing smile and swiftly kissed her with a long, passionate kiss until the frown crowning her brow slowly relaxed and she became as soft as freshly kneaded dough in his arms.

"I was wrong and an idiot and this is my way of apologizing to you," he added as he gently placed his forehead against hers.

After a few more minutes, Supi felt herself cool down so much that laying half naked was making her shiver. Getting up, she quickly put on her clothes while he fished out his shirt from behind the couch.

"Why are you blushing? Could it possibly be that you might have enjoyed what we did?" he grinned.

She blushed further but managed to remind him nonetheless that he himself looked quite satisfied and as smug as a cat that's just had a bowl of cream for breakfast.

As he departed, teasing her before closing her apartment door, Supi stood in the hallway and wondered what in the world she had gotten herself into. She thought of the man she has been dating recently. He had been good to her but at the same time so distant and when compared with Nadir, especially after what just happened, it was no contest. She couldn't in good conscience not break things off now, she shuddered to think of the possibility even if things between her and Nadir didn't work out again, she had to be honest. Dishonesty and white lies are what got them in trouble in the first place.

"Hello? Come on, pick up! Pick up, Christine!" Supi mumbled as she waited for her best friend finally respond.

"Hey! Sorry I missed your call earlier. What's up?"

"Nadir, Nadir is what's up!"

"Did you finally call him back? Did you guys actually talk?" Christine guessed, hoping that was the case. Nadir has been a fellow course mate of Supi's at University which they all attended along with Raoul. Christine has been the only one who wasn't a Computer Science major but nonetheless, she loved hanging out with people from that department, perhaps it reminded her of her mother and initially it was about comfort for her. Nadir, during his bachelors and masters career, had a reputation of a bit of a womanizer but still seemed to only hold Christine and Supi in high esteem. It wasn't until the end of the first year of their masters that Nadir finally began chasing Supi in earnest. She has resisted initially but soon succumbed to his charm and their relationship blossomed. All was well until that fateful day when Nadir came to tell Supi that he can no longer be with her, that he needed to be a lone wolf for a little longer but begged to remain friends. Supi held her end of the bargain, doing her best to ignore any of the womanizing stories and being honest when she had met another who interested her, even if he could not compare to Nadir.

What neither Christine nor Supi realized, the womanizing stories spread by Nadir were just that, stories. He had felt her absence so sharply but couldn't bring himself to come to her and admit his mistake. He had hoped instead to make her jealous enough to come to him but his plan backfired when he found out that she started dating another. He had overheard Supi's conversation with Christine that this new relationship was not at all in the direction that she had hoped. Knowing he couldn't waste time though, he realized that he needed to get her back soon and the surefire way was to show his beloved Supi how much she missed him body and soul and that he felt the same.

"He came over for breakfast. Or he came over and made breakfast for us both."

"And?! Come on, spill!" Christine said, sitting at the edge of her chair in anticipation.

"Well, the French Toast was great….um, so was the oral sex"

"OH MY GOD!"

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have invited him in or let him make breakfast. I don't know how all of this happened. How we ended up on my couch with him, well you get the picture," she mumbled

"But does it mean that you guys are now back together or what did this mean? What about the guy you're dating right now?"

"I broke it off with him and it was probably for the best. I didn't really even get a reaction from him. He just said that he understood and that was fine since we didn't really invest much in our relationship."

"But what about Nadir?"

"We'll see what happens. Until he makes it official that we're together though, I'm not getting my hopes up just to get them dashed. I care a lot about him but I don't want to be a reserve choice. I want to know that he wants me as much as I want him," Supi declared, finally realizing how much she has missed him and all the more how much she wanted to make this work.

 **Oh my, so what's instore for our heroes next…check out the next chapter.**


	4. ICQ (I seek you)

**And now we're back to Christine, living in Sweden...**

Waking up to a somewhat gloomy December morning, Christine rolled out of bed hoping that this time, she'll be able to exercise, shower and get to work on time.

After a long shower, she couldn't help but think about her life back in California. For a long while, San Francisco has been her home but the only thing predictable about life is that it tends to be unpredictable. San Francisco had been great to her, she's made friends of a lifetime and even loved.

Raoul, he a memory that haunts her dreams now but for a while he was the love of her life and she thought that they were meant to be together. He was handsome, his green eyes shining when he was grad or darkening when he was angry. To her, he seemed to be the missing puzzle in her life, being slightly older and wiser, he seemed to effortlessly guide her around the obstacles that surrounded her. He helped her make decisions and come to terms with whom she wanted to be and which direction she wanted her life to go. She had expected that their lives would be together and intertwined but little did she know.

 _5 years earlier_

 _They were supposed to see Raoul's uncle to tell him that they were dating and in fact it was his uncle that introduced them in the first place and encouraged the blossoming of what they had now. Christine pushed a piece of paper on the floor absently with her foot, Raoul was late and wasn't answering his phone. Finally he appeared slightly disheveled and with a worried look on his face._

" _Is something wrong?" she asked, the concern written all over her face but as she tried to put her hand on his to comfort him, he pulled away, making her frown in confusion._

" _Everything's fine…it's fine," he mumbled, ushering her out of the corridor of Thornton Hall at San Francisco State University. "I'll walk you to the bus stop"_

" _Wait, bus stop? Aren't we going to see your uncle?"_

" _He's gone home already, I gave him a call. I'll walk you to the stop."_

 _The walk was strangely quiet until they got to the stop, there he held her shoulders and finally looked at her. He looked at her as if he'd never be able to see her again, as if he was drinking in her features and noting every line of her face._

" _We can't be together, we have to end this," he said simply, without an ounce of emotion._

 _Christine was flabbergasted, "What? What do you mean? Is this some joke?"_

" _No, we just can't be together anymore," he repeated cooly._

" _But why not? What happened in the last few hours that changed your mind?"_

 _He sighed, dropping his hands from her shoulders. "Because I can't…I don't want to hurt you"_

" _In what way could you hurt me?"_

" _I'm older, I've been married before," he began. "Why can't you…I will hurt you. I can't do this to you. You don't understand – with you, with you it feels like forever and I can't commit to it. I cannot ruin you"_

" _But the difference is just 6 years…"_

 _The look Christine had on her face showed how heartbroken she felt, she felt that her life was now spinning out of control and nothing really made sense._

" _You are forever but I am not done fooling around, it's too soon for me to start something as serious as it feels with you," he admitted while stroking her cheek and finally pulling her towards him, kissing her on her forehead. "I'm sorry," was all he could muster before the bus arrived and she got in._

A few years later, Christine left for Sweden to study abroad.

Not in her wildest dreams, did she imagine that her one year abroad would result in a completely different life, a life on a different continent. Just as her studies were coming to an end, a chance opportunity to stay and continue her education, i.e. a Masters degree, arose and this was something she was more than willing to do. For while, she felt herself liberated from Raoul and all that reminded her of him but like a pestering sore, he kept propping back, reminding her of what was not meant to be.

It would be wrong to say that he did out of malice or some malignant desire to hurt her but rather that he was unhappy himself and couldn't bring himself up to apologize. Things had now gone too far, she was living on a different continent and he had married a girl his family approved of – a nice, quiet and sweet tempered French girl who'd never challenge him in any way, unlike Christine.

The muttered soliloquy she had uttered was gracelessly interrupted by her PI walking in with a bunch of papers in hand.

"Vad var den? En ny sång eller? (What was that? A new song or?)," he asked with a northern Swedish accent.

"Nej, jag bara pratar med mig själv. Det hjälper mig att tänka (No, I'm just talking to myself. It helps me think.)," she responded, taking off her headphones and giving him her full attention.

They spent the next hour or so discussing how to best present their findings at the conference, working on the written part as well as the poster. Christine was feeling a bit overwhelmed but she knew she could power through it. It was an honor to be chosen to present in person and it was an opportunity she was unwilling to pass by.

Toward the end of the day, she found herself distracted by Nadir's message on ICQ.

Nadir: Helllooooooooooo. Stina, are you there?!

Nadir: I got ICQ just cause you use it. Come on, I have some inportamt stuff to discuss with you

Nadir: Important*

Nadir: Though, I gotta admit, I like it.

Christine: Hey! Sorry, I'm at work, was in the zone, fixing up my poster for the conference.

Nadir: Yeah, heard you were joining us comp-sci nerds for the Safari in SA.

Christine: I wonder who told you about that ;)

Nadir: Like you don't know, bet she called you as soon as I left.

Christine: Naaah, not AS SOON as you left.

Christine: So what exactly did you want to discuss? Or let me know about?

Nadir: So I'll be going with you guys to SA, we'll all be at the same conference. Supi and I will fly out together from SF, maybe to Sweden or we can try to get a layover elsewhere so we can all take the long trip down south together.

Christine: Fine by me but you do know that we'll be in different hotels though. They won't let me chose one myself. I'll have to take the booking the administration feels is better.

Nadir: I hadn't thought about that…

Nadir: But at least Supi and I get to book our tickets ourselves so we can catch the same plane as you.

Christine: Peeeerrrfeeect! It will be so great seeing you guys.

Christine: I hesitate to ask but….

Nadir: oh my

Christine: Is it serious between you guys this time? And this is just me asking, not some poorly veiled girly attempt to ask for a girl-friend.

Nadir: No, I get it.

 _Nadir is writing…_

Christine: It's just, she's had it tough the first time. I don't want her to go through that again. On the other hand, I'll leave you guys to it. Just know that I'm not indifferent and I care about you both

 _Nadir is writing…_

Nadir: I don't think you have anything to worry about with respect to Supi. Maybe it's me you'll be worried about in the end. XD She might decide that I'm not the one for her, which will devastate me

Nadir: I realized that I didn't just miss her, I needed her. I was so jealous when she started talking about guys she was dating. It was then I realized that I just couldn't let her go. I had to at least try to get her back. We'll see what happens. I've laid my heart out on the line this time.

Christine: Well, I hope you guys do find happiness – we'll see how it goes. ***fingers crossed***

Nadir: Oh man, I forgot to tell you one more thing. Raoul is coming to the conference too.

 _Christine is writing…_

 _Christine is writing…_

Nadir: I wanted you to be aware of that.

Christine: Is he coming with his wife? Or, do I even want to know…I don't think I want to know

Nadir: I can't say but how do you say it in Russian, something something "Aware, therefore with a gun", something rhymy

Christine: "Предупреждён, значит вооружён"

Nadir: Yeah, still can't read cyrillic though

Christine: "Preduprezhden, znachit vooruzhen", which translates as "Forewarned, therefore armed"

Nadir: Well I like it, though don't expect me to pronounce it properly.

Christine: But thanks for the heads up!

Nadir: Sweet! Alright, I gotta finally get some work in. Coffee is now gone and I don't wanna look like a lazy bum. Have a good rest of your PhD day.

Christine: You too, Mr. Caffeine Addict

Nadir: L8trs!

 _Nadir signed out._

Christine spun around in her chair. Well that was a turn of events that she didn't expect. She hadn't seen him for so long and it no longer hurt to think of him but who knew how she would react after so many years. She sighed and promised herself that no matter what, she wouldn't let him phase her. It was her moment to shine and she would make it count

 **So, a little background story about Christine's relationship with Raoul and the prep before the conference.**

 _ICQ: an open source messenger first developed and popularized in 1996. Still a very popular service all over the world - it's like AIM, Skype and WhatsApp in one._


	5. Ikapa the Khosa name for Cape Town

**And so we continue with our story at Arlanda Airport...**

 _Resande till Dubai…_

Christine started to pace back and forth, no longer able to restrain herself, as she waited for Alina to answer the phone.

"Come on. Pick up! Pick up!" she muttered to herself, feeling nervous as people started to file in line and progress onboard.

"Ohh, are we boarding already?" Alina asked coming up behind Christine. Alina was a beautiful girl, shorter than Christine by about a head but no less energetic. Her brown hair, full like a lion's mane, glittered in the sun streaming in from the tall windows.

"You had me worried," Christine breathed out a sigh of relief. "You said you were going to be gone just five minutes and it's been an hour. What kept you? Whom did you bump into?" she said trying to conceal a smile.

"Haha, you know me so well, it's not fair," Alina exclaimed, the sweet lul of her light Romanian accent turning a few heads. "He was just so cute! I couldn't help myself."

"Did you get his number? What did he look like?"

They started to move toward the line and Christine paused for a second, her eyes resting on a man sitting peacefully, reading from his phone. He didn't seem at all concerned with standing in line.

"So anyway, imagine this. He has these gorgeous chocolate eyes and a bit of a scruffy beard and he's buying some magazine and I just give him this look," she said demonstrating, while placing her hand on her hip blasting a couple of boys, who turned around out of curiosity, with a generous smile. "So afterwards, he came up to me and we started chatting. He's off to Quatar or something."

"So did you guys exchange numbers or any other social media stuff?"

"Nah, I lied that I'd left my phone with you."

"Why did you do that?" she asked as they scooted over and started to take out their passports and boarding passes for the airline staff at the gate.

"Because,…Thank you."she said as they were finally free to enter the sleeve which would lead them to the plane. "He was cute for sure but really boring. I would die with him. Such a shame though."

"Well, plenty of fish in the sea."

As they started to wait in the second line right by the plane entrance, a loud noise redirected their attention to the back of the line. There he was again, helping an older woman, whom had dropped her suitcase while trying to replace her passport into her handbag. The old lady tried to rearrange all of her luggage so that she could take her suitcase as well but he offered to help her and the grateful woman, placed her hand in the crook of his arm, while he flashed her a smile. He was taller than Christine, about 5'11" (179cm ), had thick hair in a very short, almost military style haircut, with thick eyebrows, a thin mouth and beautiful blue-gray eyes.

"Christine? Come on!" Alina said, tugging on her friend's sleeve to usher her further towards the plane. "What are you looking at? Ohhh, I see," she said noting where Christine's eyes rested.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

As they found their seats and buckled in, Christine's eyes couldn't help but wonder over to the handsome man, who true to her expectation, helped the older woman lift the suitcase into the luggage space above the seats.

The rest of the trip was rather uneventful, the girls chatted, watched a movie and listened to some music. During the layover in Dubai they had a chance to glance through a bunch of stores and marvel at the palm trees strategically placed on either side of those automated walkways to help passengers reach their gate faster. As they approached their gate, Christine sat with their things as Alina ran off to look at some souvenirs. To Christine's pleasure and surprise, she saw her mystery man come to the gate. She flushed red as their eyes met even though he didn't seem to register her blush, sat a way away from the gate desk and continued reading. She couldn't put her finger on it, why he seemed to entice her so much. Perhaps it was he calm demeanor, so different from her, or the kindness that he showed to a virtual stranger.

She shook her head, trying to put the thought from her mind. No point in dwelling on it if she wasn't about to come up to him and try to establish some contact. She had decided instead that she would spend the rest of the flight thinking on it – to come up to him or not.

As they landed in Cape Town, Christine, having shared her idea with Alina, decided to approach the man as during the endless passport control lines. Unfortunately for her, since he had been sitting close to the door, he had exited first and one of the first to go past the passport control, while she and Alina were stuck waiting for their turn.

"Well, guess it wasn't meant to be," Christine tried to reassure herself though still berating herself inwardly for not trying in Dubai.

"It's ok, if it's meant to be, you'll bump into each other. I mean, if you bribe someone, maybe you can get the passenger list."

"Oh god, haha, you know how to cheer up a girl. I don't think I'll go that far with it though," Christine admitted. "Though I can say this, I can't wait to see Sandra! She's going to pick us up with her bf and give a short tour."

Cape Town itself proved to be a wondrous adventure to the two girls. Sandra and her boyfriend Manny picked them up and drove them along the coastline. The city welcomed them with stunning sunny weather, a warm breeze and a view of plumes of white clouds slowly going down the slopes of Table Mountain. The city itself, the second most populous in the country, stunned Christine and Alina to the point of dropped jaws and speechlessness.

Despite the long flight, the girls gladly took the opportunity to visit the Castle of Good Hope. The fort, built in the 17th century was originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, though now after land reclamation is technically inland, was declared in 1936 a historical monument and heritage site. Built by the Dutch East India company between 1666 and 1679 and replaced it's wooden predecessor. The characteristic yellow pain used everywhere for the sole purpose that it lessened the effect of the heat and sun, gleamed in the brightness of the day and gave a feeling of a largescale colonial city. The tour guide took his time explaining all the intricate and interwoven history, remarking on the current developments both socially and politically.

They ended their day at the Cape Union Mart, tucking in the local food and finally feeling the exhaustion of the trip lulling them to sleep. Tomorrow was day one of the conference, a day that would prove to be both a trial and the start of something new, as well as pleasurable.

 **So, what awaits us at the conference and will the mysterious man return….find out in the next chapter.**


	6. How did that happen?

**And we're off to the conference...**

The speakers at the conference hall blasted information for the hordes of incoming presentators and spectators that all gathered for the next 4 days to network and exchange ideas.

"So where are Supi and Nadir..." Alina asked somewhat impatiently tucking in her dress shirt into her pencil skirt. She and Christine, if not for the large difference in their height and volume of hair could have been mistaken for twins. Both wore crisp white shirts with three quarter sleeves and pencil skirts that started at the waist, hugged heir hips like a glove and ended just above the knee. To add to the effect, both wore some nice black pumps that weren't as high as could be but definitely comfortable to walk around all day long.

A handsome young man sneaked up behind Alina and as soon as he placed his hands on her delicate shoulders, whispered something in her ear.

"Dmitry!" Alina squealed and jumped into his arms. Dmitry was a tall, dirty blonde haired and blue eyed Russian ex of Alina's from Nizhnij Novgorod. He sported a pale blue shirt and a navy suit which only brought out the color of his eyes. "You came!"

"Of course I did, красавица (krasavitsa – beauty)," he said pulling her into a tight hug, his left hand resting possessively on her waist, his other holding onto a cartboard tube where his poster was most likely resting.

"Как дела, Кристин? (Kak dela, Christine? - How are you, Christine)," he asked, kissing the top of Alina's head.

"Да, неплохо. На эту конференцию попала. А ты? Ты плакат свой уже повесил? (Da, neploho. Na jetu konferenciju popala. A ty? Ty plakat svoj uzhe povesil? - Not bad, got in on this conference. And you? Did you put up your poster already.)"

"I've already put mine up, I'd suggest you ladies put yours up soon or all the good spaces will be gone"

"Then we should go," Alina interjected, looking a bit more worried. "We can catch Supi later or leave her a message or something."

"How about you guys go," Christine said handing her poster to Dmitri. "And I'll meet Supi and Nadir up, we can meet up by the posters then.

"Ok," Alina said, grabbing Dmitry by the crook of his arm and leading him into the entrance of the a large hall.

Christine, checked her watch and phone one more time. She had an idea why Supi and Nadir were late, probably couldn't get enough of each other and lost track of time. Her eyes almost absently scanned the room until they landed on the same man she had seen in Dubai, the one who helped that old lady. He was dressed very neatly, perhaps a bit too strict in comparison to a group of people in sweatervests that had just passed him and the group of people he animately spoke with.

"Hello, earth to Christine," Nadir repeated himself, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Sorry, hey guys!" She replied, hugging each. "Do you guys know who that man is, the one in that black suit?"

"That guy, the one who talking with that group. His nickname is _Eric the Phantom."_ and added a little "ooooooohhh" to it for effect.

"The Phantom?" she said looking at him with some disbelief. "Why Phantom?"

"I've worked with him before once or twice, nice guy. Got the nickname since he's brilliant at what he does and when he show's up you know. Also, it's so hard to argue against his reasoning. He packs a punch." 

"Sounds like Phantom of the Opera to me, minus all the stage issues and mask...and a lot of other stuff. Where's he from?"

"I don't know for sure, Sweden maybe. You can ask Dmitry, I think he's worked with him more." Nadir looked at Christine quizzically as she surveyed the so called _Phantom_. "Do you have a thing for him?"

"I don't even know him," she answered a little too fast. "Alina and I were on the same plane with and he was really nice to an old lady. Just caught my eye."

Nadir chuckled but added, "if you are interested in him, though. You'll probably have to your "girl surveying" old school style. I know for sure he's not a fan of social media and doesn't have an account even on your super-duper VK"

As the conference progress and everyone, after a bout of hugging, settled down and sat together, things seemed to take on a normal progression of listening to presenters, mingling, breaks and bouts of stuffing finger-food. All was routine that is, until, the _Phantom_ himself was introduced to Christine but not as Erik but rather Valerij.

"Valerij? I had thought your name is Eric," she said, now more curious than ever.

"Eric is because my coworkers heard my girlfriend call me Valeric, the Russian diminutive form of my name and started calling me Eric for short."

"You're Russian then? I had been under the impression that you were Swedish." She added and suddenly realized that she had revealed her cards way too soon.

"Кто-же это вам столько рассказывал обо мне, Кристина ….(Kto-zhe jeto vam stol'ko passkazival obo mne, Christine/Who is it that's been telling you about me, Christine...)" he said as-a-matter-of-factly, without a smirk that she had expected.

"Кирилловна (Kirilovna)*. А вы? (A vy?/And you?)," she added

"Валерий Митрофанович (Valerij Mitrofanovich)"

"Очень приятно (Ochen' priyatno/Pleasure [to meet you])"

An announcement rang above their heads, alerting all the participants about the upcoming events.

"Взаимно. Походу нам пора сесть на свои места. До встречи. (Vzaimno. Pohodu nam pora sest' na svoi mesta. Do vstrechi/Likewise. It appears that it's time for us to return to our seats. See you around." he said, making her blush as his hand lightly lingered on her waist as he maneuvered around her and the other people walking past them

The conference took on its usual speed and even at some intervals motomy. Christine had imagined that she and all her friends would head off to have dinner together but Alina and Dmitri had excused themselves immediately before dinner came up as a topic.

They watched as their friends proceeded to the left, while they turned right, on the way to Dmitri's room. Alina looked up at her handsome companion, noting that the scar he had by his left ear has almost disappeared. That scar has particular significance in their relationship, it was how their lives began to intertwine. They were both taking a cruise, he was returning to St. Petersburg while she was on the way there. He had tried to grab her attention from the moment he spotted her dancing on the dancefloor to some Russian classics, her friend Christine singing her hear out. Though there was an initial resistance, Alina eventually succumbed to his charm and invitation to smoke hookah with him, her and his friends together. As the evening drew to a close, it was obvious, that sparks flew between them. Unfortunately for them, someone else had laid his eye on Alina that night as well and after an unsuccessful courtship, a fight broke out. The combat could not be called extensive or long as it lasted about 3 punches before the other man fell but he none the less managed to leave his mark on Dmitri. The ring the man wore had scratched Dmitri's face deep enough to mark it for the next year or so. The eventually shook hands and parted without much further issues or questions.

Afterwards, the relationship between Dmitri and Alina seemed to blossom as each would take turns to see each other when work allowed it but this past year had been a strain on them both. They had decided that they will end thing and remain as friends but by the looks both were giving each other and the fact they were heading to a room together, only further proved that they couldn't let go.

Alina trembled with anticipation as she entered his spacious room filled with two beds, his travel clothes neatly piled on top of a chair, his suitcase neatly placed beneath the table with the hotel notepads and pens. All thoughts or worries about what they were doing disappeared as his mouth descended to hers, coaxing her lips to open and allow his tongue passage inside. All that seemed to exist was just the two of them in this world, with only the barrier of clothing being a reminder of passion not yet experienced. With quiet ceremony and without pulling away from the kiss, he began unbuttoning her shirt and she feeling the cool, air-conditioned air, started to follow suit. He then snaked his hand up her back and into her hair, releasing the beautiful tresses as his hands combed it with splayed fingers.

Feeling somewhat impatient, Alina pulled away and proceeded to push Dmitri onto the bed, immediately climbing onto him as soon as she stepped out of her skirt. In turn, he pulled her tighter to him at the same time freeing her voluptuous bosom from the constraints of the silk, gray, lace bra that matched her panties. Inwardly she thanked her intuition for pushing her toward a matching set today as a choice.

Her breasts bare, Alina naturally shuddered at the sensual look he have her, while he began his slow and torturous ministrations. He began by gently stroking her twin orbs, his touch light as if he were worshiping them, while she tilted her head back in sweet surrender.

A moan escaped her lips as he began to suckle on her, her fingers becoming ever so tangled in his hair. Without understanding how their clothing disappeared altogether, suddenly Alina realized that he had lifted her up, her toned legs automatically wrapping themselves around his waist as she could feel his hot and aching need enter her eager sheath.

"Alina," he rasped as she moaned with such longing that it was almost his undoing.

All reason and awareness of her surroundings was gone and instincts took over and they both added speed to their breathless thrusting towards each other. Alina was intoxicated by his smell, burning from the feel of his skin and as their culmination drew closer, the seconds seemed to stretch into hours until in one powerful motion that pierced her body and soul, she felt herself tighten repeatedly while screaming out his name, causing him to reciprocate and finally slump to the floor breathing heavily.

 **Notes:**

 ***** This pause was initiated by Eric in order to have Christine say her patronymic since in Russian (and other languages in that branch), with persons that are new or to show respect, people are addressed by their name and patronymic. One usually addresses people of the same age or younger by name though. Here though, despite being close in age, Eric is somewhat distancing himself as well as being polite.


	7. Comme Un Entre Nous (Like Between Us)

**The journey continues...who will join the story next**

Christine was so happy. She couldn't remember being this excited to join an event and though she denied it, it was definitely Eric who was a big reason for it. There was something about him, he made her feel included, was attentive and very interesting conversationalist. It felt like she would discuss things with him for days and not feel tired of it. She wondered briefly what it would feel like to have his arms hug her by the waist, how it would feel to kiss him and look into his sea-gray eyes.

Her peace was suddenly shattered, her eyes widening as she felt warm hands land on her waist and give her a tug. Eric noticed her reaction, his face showing concern but then began to glare at the person behind her.

"If I may borrow Christine for a second," the unanticipated assailant said, tugging her away. She was thankful that she could feel Eric's gaze on her though for some reason, she felt so mute.

"Hey, beautiful. Why didn't you say that you were going to be here? It's not nice that I found out from the speaker list instead of you," he scolded lightly.

"Raoul...um, sorry about that," she lied, "I've been so focused on my presentation that it's slipped my mind"

"What are you doing later tonight?"

"Going to the party post conference that'll be on the roof of this building, where the pool is"

"I'm not sure I'm coming, why don't you come to my room later today. I'm in 435 at this hotel," he said giving his million dollar smile.

"Isn't your wife going to mind?"

"She's arriving tomorrow." The PA system started to call everyone back to their seats. "I have to go but see you later tonight" he added without waiting for her to respond.

Christine sat by her nearest and dearest, still in mild shock from what happened. Supi scooted near and finally asked.

"What did Raoul say to you? You look so shaken up"

"He invited me over to his room," Christine replied in a whisper, keeping her eyes on the presentation happening before them, though none of the pie charts or bar graphs made a difference in her world right this second.

"He did? What did you say?"

"Nothing, he assumed that I would come. He just gave me his room number and said we'll see each other later"

"And?"

"And what?" Christine asked, the anguish showing in her face. "I swear, it feels like this conference is "make-up-with-your-ex" more than anything informatics related."

"Do you think he wants to get back together?"

"His wife is certainly not here. According to him she's coming tomorrow."

"Are you going to go?"

"No"

"Are you sure?" Supi asked, wondering to herself whether or not she should be playing devil's advocate so strongly. "I neither want to push you to do the wrong thing nor have you regret something later on. He's been married before, this is his second wife, maybe he's finally understood that life without you holds less meaning."

"He's caused me so much heartache, I can't play his games anymore. He's known for so many years that he's been important to me but I think that I'm finally done with him," she said, gasping at the sudden realization.

"Is it because of Eric by any chance?" Supi whispered after a bout of clapping indicating the end of one speaker's turn and the beginning of another.

Christine looked at her best friend, that she and Nadir were holding hands together, the tender looks that passed between them and smiled.

"I think I just finally learned that I have a lot more value than I gave myself credit for. I want love, mutual love, someone who wants to wake up next to me rather than keep me as an accessory. If Raoul can't see me and treat me as I should be, then we need not waste our time."

Raoul kept glancing at his Christine and her best friend Supi. It was funny how their friendship started off rocky but ended being one of the strongest bonds he's seen in his years. Christine had changed so much over the years. Her chocolate hair was now blonde, she had started to exercise and sported finely sculpted legs that only made her voluptuous forms all the more mouthwatering.

He couldn't tear himself away from the memories of the time they shared together. He smiled inwardly, he had been the one to conquer her first; mind, body and soul. A part of her would always belong to him and he wanted to prove that to her later tonight. He crossed his hands over his chest and tried in vain to pay attention to the speaker, his mind slowly starting to daydream of the past.

 _It was a warm evening at his place in San Francisco. He was renting a small apartment downtown in Van Ness and Christine was in the kitchen happily humming to Mylene Farmer's – Devant Soi. Why she enjoyed listening to his song was beyond him but the somewhat melancholic notes would stay with him a month later when they would break up – ending their two-year relationship._

 _She was in the middle of tying off her brown hair in a ponytail as he entered the kitchen. With both her arms up and trying to restrain her hair had caused her perfect breasts to just forward though she herself didn't realize how delectable she looked to him. Some of the tendrils of hair spiraled out, of the eventually messy bun she made, onto her shoulders and around her neck making Raoul want to trace her neck with his lips ever so tenderly. He wanted to nibble on her skin lightly, tending the fire she had within until she would explode in his arms._

 _He had been very surprised about how receptive she was to his ministrations despite her innocence. Never had a woman melted and exploded as such in his arms and he had considered himself a formidable lover. He was nine years her senior, had once been married, though the marriage had made him bitter for a while, and as an act of rebellion post-divorce had indulged in quite a few romances._

 _Christine now began to sing along in French to "Libertine", though the language was not one she had studied extensively, while Raoul spoke it fluently._

" _Quand sur ton corps, je m'endors (When I am by your body, I fall asleep)_

 _Je m'evapore, bébé tu dors et moi j'attends l'aurore (I evaporate, my darling, you sleep and I wait for sunrise)_

 _Quand de mes lèvres tu t'enlèves, un goût amer (When you touch my lips, a bitter taste)_

 _Me rappelle que je suis au ciel. (It reminds me that I am in heaven)"_

 _As she moved around, taking out the dinner they planned out from the oven, Raoul couldn't help but appreciate how well the tights she wore hugged her legs, how much the shirt clung to her breasts that were sadly covered from his piercing gaze._

 _No longer able to control his urge to have her in his arms, he pulled her to him once she placed the food to cool._

" _You shouldn't cook with clothes," he mumbled as his hands began to roam her ample bottom._

 _She laughed and blushed slightly, "you'd not appreciate me naked if you saw me as such every second" but before she could continue her retort, his lips descended onto hers, their feather touch, fueling her passion._

 _They awkwardly moved toward the bedroom and divested in the process. His hands were everywhere, leaving a trail of pure fire until she started to squirm so much that he pushed her onto the bed and covered her with his body. He lifted her hips slightly and entered her in one swift move, eliciting a groan of delight and an expression of awe. To her he was so strong and so hot to the touch, his possession of her making her feel as if he wanted to conquer every cell in her body with this act._

 _Christine managed to twist them about so that he was on the bottom and she on top, riding him in all her glory. She purposefully started to move slower, caressing her breasts, allowing her fingers to travel south. As she teased her hidden pearl with one hand, she began to mimic the act of fellatio with her other hand. First her index finger traced her lips as if asking for permission to enter. When she saw that he was enraptured, she stuck out her tongue and traced her finger on the underside of it before ever so slowly engulfing the finger between her plump red lips. The unhurried bobbing of the finger in her mouth only drove him wild further, especially as she bent backwards slightly, her head falling back while bearing her breasts to him even more. Raoul moaned louder, his hands squeezing her bouncing bosoms as she lifted herself up and down, the view of his shaft disappearing and reappearing beneath her becoming just as mesmerizing as her long hair falling onto her chest, the nipples shyly peeking through with each movement she made._

 _With an almost unbearable amount of friction, he watched her cry out in ecstasy as her tight sheath convulsed around his shaft, causing her to shake with breathless moans. Feeling himself rising up to his own climax he grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her tight as he pistoned into her until he felt himself reach the apex and release his seed into her._

 **Well, that explains why Raoul is back in the picture**


	8. Haunting Past and Phantom of the Future

**Who doesn't like rooftop pool parties with a bunch of nerds?!**

Supi and Alina both took Christine and dragged her into Alina's room to change.

"Come on, Christine. The pool party has started already and we have yet to change into our bathing suits," Alina said excitedly as she ran over to her suitcase and started pulling out its contents.

"Alina, do you know which swimsuit you'll put on? And you Christine?" Supi said taking her top three choices of swimsuits out of a duffle bag.

"I still think that we should have checked out the pool first before we decided that getting all dressed **down** was a good idea. What if it's going to be like that party Jen and I went to in LA, where all the people were just dressed and the pool lay idle." Christine finally spoke up.

"Are you sure that's the reason," Supi asked, sitting down at the made up bed and looking in her direction skeptically.

"Wait, what did I miss?" Alina immediately dropped what she was doing and jumped on the bed to sit next to Supi, her halo of hair flying all over the place in her efforts at speed. "Spill, woman. What happened?!"

"Raoul is here and he seems to want to get back together with her," Supi said after Christine just stood there with her arms crossed looking at her friends, unable to verbalize the situation and most certainly not trusting herself.

"How did I not know this? When did you get to talk to him, I didn't even see the two of you together."

"I was with Eric and his friends when Raoul pulled me away," Christine finally spoke, sinking down to the floor, feeling like she's butter in a hot pan. "I don't understand why he wants to be anywhere near me right now. Why now? He was the one who originally wanted to let me go and "set me free" then after a few girlfriends found himself a wife and now what?"

"Do you want to be with him?" Alina ventured carefully. "You do have a history together, maybe it's meant to be. You did used to say that your lives were intertwined and that if you weren't together now, you'll be sure to touch base again. Maybe it's that time?"

Supi sighed, dropping the swimsuit she had in her hand on the other bed. "You know my feelings about it Christine. I won't stand in your way but I don't want you to forget what happened before, what he put you through." She reasoned, visibly upset.

Christine looked at her friends; they each wanted the best for her and especially Supi knew what and how much heartache Raoul was for her.

 _It was a sunny day, four years ago. She was getting ready to go out for a picnic when her Skype started to ring. Looking up, she smiled despite herself. It was Raoul. Though she'd been only gone for a year from California, seeing him call her made her spirits lift._

 _The conversation took on its normal pattern, he asked unspecific questions, she answered and asked slightly more pointed ones. She could feel that he wanted to say something, hoping that it was what she wanted to hear from him, that he missed her, that he wanted her care again, that he regretted the decision to let her go. Instead she was faced with a completely different picture._

 _Out of the blue, she could see slender hand, obviously belonging to a woman, snake its way around his shoulder and down his chest, the owner of the hand lowering herself slowly into the view of the camera. For a moment Christine hoped that this was just his cousin from Nice but as soon as she was faced with the woman smiling back at her, her heart stopped._

 _Looking back at her was a beautiful young woman, no older than her, whispering something to him in barely audible French, a diamond ring on her left hand._

" _In English, ma cherie," Raoul gently scolded. "She doesn't speak French"._

" _Alo! How are you?" she said rolling her r's in such a sensual way that Christine thought she might fall out of her chair in general shock._

" _I'm well. And you?" was all Christine managed to mumble._

" _Raoul has told me so much about you. I know you are busy but it would be so lovely if you were to visit us," the woman added whole heartedly with no malice or ill will on her behalf._

 _Christine could see the vein begin to rise on Raoul's forehead, it happened whenever he was mad or very nervous. In this moment, she realized that his poor bride had no idea who she was other than just a close friend. In her power, she could ruin it all for them. Tell the poor girl, whom it was she was tying her life with._

 _Despite the inner rage, she couldn't. Not because she didn't want to hurt Raoul but because she no longer wanted to be a part of his life. It was at this moment that Christine felt the part of her soul, which would have done anything to be with Raoul, evaporate from her chest. No longer would she live through the prism of hopeful illusions. It was at this moment that she realized she no longer wanted to go back to California and would be better off staying in Sweden._

The pool party was not as awkward as they all expected. The pool area was surrounded by a thick glass fence that reached up to her waist and adored with a wooden rail. Each corner had a palm tree and large pots of plants everywhere, making it feel a little like an oasis where one can tan during the day. A few people felt very uncomfortable running around in their swimtrunks or swimsuits but the average person embraced the idea wholeheartedly. The swimming and music continued well into the night. At around 11pm, Supi, Nadir, Alina and Dmitry were all feeling hungry, so being the 5th wheel, Christine decided to go order some food for all of them. Thankfully the rooftop was equipped with not only chaise longues but also a bungalow that served pizza, which was a bit disappointing. She would have appreciated some local cuisine much more than a dish she could get anywhere in the world. As Christine waited for the drinks to be made as the pizzas were being prepared, she looked around and was shocked to find Raoul right in front of her in just his swimtrunks, looking very handsome and wearing that winning smile.

"You didn't come," he whispered with a forlorn expression, his hands finding contact with her skin.

Christine's traitorous body gave into the temporary jolt she felt at the contact. She acutely felt his hands on her hips, the sensual movement of this thumb's caress and the warmth emanating from his palms. It was as if Raoul was willing her to remember the intimacy they shared long ago and cleave onto him. Her head turned to the side, her eyes closed; hoping that the anguish she felt could not be seen on her face.

Bile began to rise in her and from sheer anger, she thought that she would evaporate into the open night sky but instead she slapped his hands away and looked at him angrily, making him take a step back.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF," she spat loud enough for him to hear but not loud enough to make a commotion.

Raoul, disregarding her venom, tried to pull her tightly against him and as she struggled to push him away, felt a hand on his shoulder. Christine looked up as she felt Raoul's grip loosen around her waist and with a sigh of relief locked eyes with Eric whom had now pushed Raoul in another direction, scolding him for his behavior in a manner that an adult with authority would do to a disobedient child.

"Всё в порядке? Он тебя не обидел? Кто это вообще? (Vsjo v poryadke? On tebya ne obidel? Kto jeto voobshe? – Everything alright? Did he hurt you? Who was it anyway?" Eric asked, the concern written on his face.

"Спасибо. (Spasibo.-Thank you)" Christine said, both of them sitting down on the barstools, the barman leaving a tray of drinks by her without a word. " Это человек из моего прошлого, который не меня ни прошлое отпустить не может. (Jeto chelovek iz moego proshlogo, kotoroe ni menya ni proshloe otpustit' ne mozhet – It's a person from my past, whom can't let go of neither the past nor me)," she confessed, her heart still beating unbearably fast from the encounter with Raoul.

"Но его понять можно, кто бы хотел тебя отпустить. (No ego ponyat' mozhno, kto by hotel tebya otpustit' – But he can be understood, who'd want to let you go)" said Eric with an all-knowing smile that made her blush.

 **Good thing Eric came in time, I'm pretty sure Christine would have otherwise pushed Raoul into the pool and cause quite a stir.**


End file.
